Duets of another type
by Bent Rose Standing Tall
Summary: This story takes place immediately following the episode duet. And ignores the part with Rodney's date. What if it was Rodney himself not Laura in control when Carson gets smooched. And what will the fallout be if somebody realised. With DADT on its last legs could this one moment herald a change for atlantis.
1. Chapter 1

Having finished checking that she was recovering well Carson walked away from Cadman's side. He went to the door of the side room that she and Rodney were in. Of the 5 beds in the room only the two containing carman and McKay were occupied. Standing in the doorway Carson caught the eye of one of the nurses working across the other side of the main infirmary, he gave her a thumbs up to indicate that he was keeping an eye on the two patients and that she or the others didn't need to check on them.

Tuning back into the room Carson waved his hand over the sensor on the wall and the door closed separating the side ward form the main infirmary. He rounded the end of Cadman's bed and walked around Rodney's bed coming to a stop at Rodney's side. A quick double checking glance around confirmed the three of them were alone, and that both doors to their part of the infirmary were closed. He relaxed into the chair next to Rodney and took his hand

Rodney turned to Laura

"Thanks for not telling anybody that it was me In control at that last moment, I know it was a stupid thing to do but I hoped that if the separation plan worked you would say it was you. It was just that it might not have worked and we might both have been killed and I couldn't bear the idea of dying without at least saying some sort of goodbye"

"It's alright Rodney. Your welcome. Covering for you was the least I can do after you saved me, I really honestly don't mind. It's not as if me planting one on Carson would have caused me issue or surprised anyone Everybody knows I've had a crush on Carson for ages."

Carson blushed slightly and carman smiled at him

"I must admit though it is a bit of a shame to find out that your not only taken but bat for the other team regardless. Imagining I had a shot was rather pleasant "

Carson blushed deeper. "Sorry about that lass"

"It's fine. looking at it you two actually make a really cute couple."

She smiled over at them. While they had been talking Carson had moved to sit on the edge of the bed next to Rodney and was now holding Rodney's hand In Both of his.

"Thanks" the men both said at the same time and they all laughed gently.

"How long have you been together" Laura blurted out and then paused

"that is if you don't mind telling me" she said more gently

Rodney looked at Carson for a moment and it was clear that they we're communicating silently, then Rodney turned to Laura

"We don't mind. We've been together since 3 weeks after we arrived here."

"Wow that's a long time. And pretty quick getting together. Did something happen the first time you met?"

Carson and Rodney both snorted

"Three weeks in wasn't the first time we met" Carson said through his chuckles

"Oh? When did you first meet"

"About two hours into the exposition, admitted Rodney."

Cadman looked startled

"He was my very first patient" continued Carson "he had been helping get the main control Center fully online after the city ascended out of the ocean and he had got hungry, Weir gave him one of the food bars that the military personnel were carrying and he went straight into anaphylactic shock"

"He was allergic to a ration bar" interrupted Cadman

"I was allergic to the Orange in the ration bar. I'm severely allergic to anything citrus"

"Oh, I'm guessing u ended up in the infirmary a few more times"

"You could say that"

"In the first week alone Rodney had already been in the infirmary more than anyone else, in fact I lost count of how many times he was in here, he kept having reactions to native food and plants."

Laura looked quizzically at him

"where do the plants come in" she asked.

"Well my allergy is so severe that I often react to the foliage of citrus bearing plants and their close relatives. It goes beyond annoying."

"I see, How come you didn't just avoid citrus"

Rodney have her one of his scorching glares

"Well usual I do but being in a new galaxy made it complicated. There are a lot of plants out here that we had never come across. and fruits and vegetables that we didn't know were citrus. With being on Shepard's team I was in the field a lot doing exploration and of corse I didn't know which plants I could and couldn't safely touch and we were often fed by villagers when we made successful contact and we didn't know what the food contained nor could we identify problematic fruits. Not to mention that with establishing foraging and trade the commissary was just as dangerous as the villages. it took some time to learn what native foods and fruits were and weren't safe and what plants to avoid. I always carry an epi-pen but with how badly I react I have to check in with a doctor after most reactions. so for a while I was in the infirmary most days. Some times more than once a day.

Carson smiled at Rodney and took over speaking

"I think the record was 4 times and a field med evac"

"Good grief what happened."

"He ate an un-catalogued fruit for breakfast which turned out to be a relative of the grapefruit. A chicken dish for lunch which the server claimed was citrus free but it turned out to be orange chicken. Then Teyla brought an Athosian tea to a briefing which turned out to contain a variety of the lemon. After all of that and an hour in the infirmary I said that he was just about fit to go on his mission and while out he managed to trip over a tree root, fall over a 3 foot cliff and land head first in a large bush which ended up being a very potent ancestor of the kumquat. The epi-pen only barely got his airways open and didn't do a thing for the swelling I had to go out in a jumper with half a med team to stabilise him to be brought back. Then to cap it all off once he was feeling albeit very groggy from the medication one of the nurses brought him dinner without checking his chart and it was a native dish using limes"

"My word that really is a bad day"

"You can say that again" grunted Rodney looking pained at the memory."

"So I guess you knew each other pretty well after three weeks. Who asked who out the first time.?"

"We kind of both asked each other actually it was rather funny" said Carson "Rodney was beginning to learn what he could eat and touch and what he needed to avoid and the servers staff had learnt to be more careful with what was in the food so that they could give out more accurate information so He was gradually coming to the infirmary less and less he came in one day and for the first time it had been five days in a row since his last visit. It was After I had given him some sting epinephrine and was giving him a check over before he left. I joked that I had missed seeing him"

"And I replied that I was quite pleased that my alert episodes were steadily decreasing in number and that if he liked spending time with me that much maybe he shouldn't wait till I visit the infirmary to see me"

"And without stopping to think I blurted out an invitation for him to accompany me to a dinner picnic on the mainland"

"Then while he was in the middle of stuttering and attempted back-pedalling I said yes"

"Which shut up my rambling and I must say pleased me greatly"

"Let me guess you had a perfect date and have lived happily ever after this far"

"Not exactly, I had packed the picnic basket without any help from either the kitchen staff nor advice From Teyla and I had tried to include a good range of food. It turned out that my ability to recognise citrus wasn't nearly as good as I had thought. in the middle of dinner Rodney suddenly went into full blown anaphylactic shock thanks to some bloody fruit I had packed that he hadn't tried yet which turned out to be a relative of the tangerine."

"Dear me poor Rodney, seems he couldn't catch a break even on a date. And you still ended up together after that" laughed Laura

"Yeah " laughed Rodney it does seem funny looking back "Carson jabbed me with an Epi-Pen then checked me over with the med kit he had packed in the jumper, once he pronounced me fine He made an extremely entertaining show of throwing the rest of the offending fruit into the sea. we had a short hike through the forest to a waterfall pool that had been discovered during a flyover of the mainland. Terribly romantic. We had a swim then camped out in a clearing and spent most of the night talking and spotting patterns in the stars and thinking up names for them."

"That sounds pretty idyll" said Cadman with a slightly wistful expression on her face. "You sure go all out doc"

"He certainly does. The next day we came back to the city as a couple and we've been together ever since."

Rodney smiled at Carson and Carson smiled back. Rodney rested his head on Carson's shoulder.

"If you've been together that long why are you keeping it hidden. Neither of you are american military so don't ask don't tell doesn't apply.?"

"Well I wanted to go public but Rodney wouldn't let us. He's worried what people will think, particularly the military side of the base leadership"

"You mean worried about Shepard?"

Before either Carson or Rodney could reply the door to the infirmary opened and John Shepard Ronan Dax and Teyla Amagan came through.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon seeing the door opening Carson leapt off the bed as if it had burned him and turned towards the monitors acting as if he was just checking them. But there was no way of disguising the flustered look on his face or the fact that he had gone beetroot red from his neck right up to his hairline at being caught in such a compromising position.

Teyla smiled, Ronan chuckled and John spoke;

"You can sit yourself back down there doc. for one you were a tad slow on the leap and second Rodney already gave you away with that stunt in the science lab"

Laura Cadman thought that any conversation following that comment would be a private one so decided that she should at least pretend to be asleep to give the group some semblance of privacy. Silently she leant back against her pillows closed her eyes and evened out he breathing so that when john glanced her way she appeared to be sound asleep.

After checking quickly on Cadman John looked back to Rodney who was now talking in a very panicked tone.

"I did? Oh good grief I knew it was a stupid thing to do but I couldn't help it, I should've known I couldn't pull of acting like Laura and now everybody knows"

Teyla walked up to the bed and sat down in a chair next to Rodney, putting a hand on his arm she interrupted him

"Not everybody noticed Rodney, your Cadman act was actually pretty good. It's just that we know you both so well we saw though it. I'm certain the other people in the room were fooled"

Rodney calmed slightly

"You're sure it was just you three that noticed"

"Well actually four of us noticed" admitted john

"Who else. Oh grief it was zelenka wasn't it. That's all i need"

"It wasn't zelenka" reassured john he hesitated for a moment unsure of how Rodney would react then said "it was Elizabeth"

"Dr Weir noticed" squeaked Rodney. "That's even worse than Zelenka"

John came and sat in another chair next to Rodney's bed

"Calm down Rodney if you keep getting so het up the doc will kick us out for raising your blood pressure." His attempt at humour clearly had no effect on the panicked man

"Calm down.?! Don't tell me to calm down. This is terrible weir is gonna fire me she is gonna send me back to earth. I can't go back to earth. I like it here, I'm needed here..."

"RODNEY PULL IT TOGETHER" John roared. Rodney stopped babbling and looked at John rather surprised

"Nobody is losing heir job and nobody is being sent back to earth weir isn't like that. Ok. She isn't gonna sack you just for being in love, who your in love with isn't going to matter to her got it?"

"Your sure"

"I'm sure"

"Ok"

Rodney visibly relaxed but John could still see that he was tense. He was about to say somthing about it but teyla was already speaking again.

"For the record Rodney I don't think you are an idiot for kissing Carson in the lab."

"You don't"

"No I don't. You were about to do something very dangerous with no idea if you would survive, wanting to kiss him first is perfectly understandable. I bet you have never gone on a mission that didn't include him without kissing him goodbye have you?"

Rodney thought for a moment "That true I haven't"

"Well today was the same thing."

"Maybe so but kissing him in front of everyone was still idiotic."

"You thought you had a good disguise. Although counting on Cadman to cover for you was a big risk."

"That was the only part of it that wasn't risky actually. We were reading each others active thoughts from the get go so she knew we were together because she could read my mental responses to him. when I was considering kissing Carson in the lab She was the one who said go for it, She's got a major crush on him so was all for a chance to experience kissing him." Rodney and Teyla chuckled.

"So your ok with me and Carson being a couple then?"

Rodney asked Teyla. A slightly worried expression on his face as if he was bracing for a negative response

"Of course I am. It has been explained to me that on earth it is considered abnormal to love a person of the same gender and that the american military especially is unaccepting of such relationships. But it does not make sense to me why people would think like that. On Athos both opposite gendered relationships and same gendered relationships are considered normal and equal. It isn't a part of our culture to differentiate between the two. Words like straight and gay heterosexual and homosexual do not even exist in our vocabulary, it astounds me that such bias and discrimination exists on earth"

"Wow Athos sounds kinda idyllic"

Teyla chuckled. Rodney turned to Ronan

"what about you Ronan?

"Setteda was much like Athos in its approach to relationships" Ronan said simply

Rodney smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes and he didn't ask john what he thought.

"How long have you and the Dr Becket been together" Teyla inquired, breaking the silence that had fallen.

"Since a few weeks after we arrived in the city, with me not being able to go a whole day without at least one allergic reaction we got to know each other pretty fast"

"Yes I can remember those early weeks quite well. You really did have a tough time. But If the two of you have been a couple for so long why are you so afraid of anybody knowing?"

"For one because I had no idea how Weir would react; Wether she would want gays on her base. I know don't ask don't tell doesn't apply to Carson and I but I couldn't take the risk of Weir sending us back to earth anyway. And aside from that, Carson and I are both heads of our departments. It would be shortsighted to think that both science and medical could be totally free of anyone with anti-homosexual sentiment and The last thing either of us need is to lose the respect of our subordinates."

This time It was john that spoke,

"Rodney do you really think that Weir would put up with anybody being discriminated against on this base. we are out here in uncharted territory breaching the boarders of human knowledge and understanding every day! you shouldn't be afraid to be yourself. Anybody who proved themselves unable to be professional and respectful towards their superiors would be sent back to earth and replaced. You of course being the expedition to that seeing as you are rarely either professional or respectful."

He smiled slightly to show that he was teasing.

Just at that moment the door opened and Dr weir entered the room. Carson leapt to his feet beet red, in much the same way as when the others had come in. Elizabeth chuckled

"You can sit down again doc. Rodney's done a lovely job of outing you both."

Carson sat down.

"How are you feeling Rodney"

"thoroughly mortified. Everyone was supposed to think it was Cadman"

"Well most of the people in the room did. The gossip channels are abuzz with talk of how Cadman smooched doc Becket in Mckay's body. But your team and I know you too well to have been fooled I'm afraid. Still no damage done. It's not as if any of us have a problem with you and Carson being an item,"

"Thanks Elizabeth".

However he still looked troubled and Shepard had had enough.

"Okay Rodney you've looked like a kicked puppy since you found out we knew about you and Carson and nothing we have said has cheered you up. What is the problem.

Rodney hesitated

"Come on Rodney just tell me already"

Rodney paused for a second more then said quietly

"Your gonna kick me of the team aren't you"

Shepard was taken aback

"Why on earth would I do that?"

Rodney looked confused"

"I thought that if you found out that Carson and I were together you would kick me off the team"

"Was that the real reason you were so scared of anybody finding out?" Teyla said gently

"That and thinking that Elizabeth might boot me back to earth yeah"

Elizabeth suddenly snorted with laughter but quickly got herself under control.

"Oh Rodney as if I would do such a thing just because you fell in love. I'm not like that, besides I don't think anyone on this base is listening to fraternisation regulations and with us so far from Earth I have no intention of enforcing them"

"That's sort of what Teyla said" replied Rodney looking somewhat abashed

Shepard was still looking baffled.

"Rodney I still don't understand why on earth you would think I would kick you off the team"

"Well Your career military. surely the last thing you want on your team is a gay person"

Shepard was silent for a beat then he snorted then losing all control he burst into a mass of laughter. Teyla Ronan and Elizabeth were all clearly trying to hold back chuckles themselves. Rodney now looked thoroughly bemused and a little upset.

"What did I say that's to funny"

"I'm sure john will tell you when he stops laughing" replied Ronan sombrely but with a twinkle still in his eye.

John was clearly trying and failing to get himself back under control but Carson had had enough. His Rodney was upset and he didn't find that humorous in the least and he wanted answers

WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL US WHAT IS SO BLOODY FUNNY" he roared.


	3. Chapter 3

John stopped laughing suddenly he had been shocked by Carson's outburst, it was unlike the gentle scot to shout.

"Sorry i lost control of my self a little there"

"I could see that now could you please tell us why"

Shepard knew that if he was going to explain why he had cracked up the others had to agree he glanced behind him and caught Ronan's eye he nodded slightly then Shepard turned and caught Teyla's she also nodded. He turned back to Rodney.

"I apologise for cracking up like that. I wasn't laughing at you Its just that I had no idea your concern was something like that and the very idea that I might kick you off the team for being gay is so crazy that it's funny."

"Why is it crazy"

"Because Rodney our team doesn't contain one single straight person."

"Rodney gawked at him for a moment"

"You mean Teyla Ronan YOU?!"

Shepard took a deep breath

"Yes Rodney. All of us, Even me."

"I had no idea. And I wouldn't have guessed in a million years"

"Well as you said I'm career military. Making sure nobody would ever guess is something I've put a lot of effort into. In Fact aside from some of my family the two of you are the first people I have ever told"

it was clear from shepherds demeanour and tone that the usually unflappable man was nervous.

Noticing as much Ronan stepped close behind shepherd and wrapped an arm around his shoulder coming to rest in a reassuring gesture across Shepard's chest. The gesture was an intimate one. A fact which Rodney and Carson didn't miss.

"You and Ronan" Rodney stammered

"Yes," replied shepherd now sounding more sure of himself.

"For how long" Carson added

Shepard looked up and smiled briefly at Ronan then turned back to the two men

"Since about an hour after I convinced him we were trustworthy"

"That was fast work"

"It was the old cliche with a new twist. love at first fight."

Rodney chuckled. He remembered well the turbulent mission that led to the Setedan joining their family in atlantis

Shepard got serious

"So you see that I would never kick you off the team. Obviously I have to keep myself hidden because I am subject to DADT but I never intended to give anybody the impression that I was one of the intolerant homophobes that populate a lot of the military.

"That's alright. I expect I was just being over worrisome I get like that a lot."

Something ocoured to Rodney

"Hold up. You said the two of us were the first people you had told but teyla and Elizabeth weren't surprised so they clearly knew already. and you knew about teyla. How"

Shepard blushed. He actually honest to God blushed.

He looked at teyla and she was blushing as well

"Ok what is it now that I don't know about"

"It's really embarrassing Rodney" said Shepard.

Rodney just crossed his arms and stared stubbornly at shepherd

" in the spirit of being open with each other as a team Perhaps we should tell him" replied Teyla slowly. She looked back briefly at Weir and she nodded.

"Tell me what" Rodney demanded

"Alright then but you tell it" said Shepard.

Rodney turned to teyla.

"Well first there's one more thing you should know" she said gently.

Elizabeth slowly came and sat next to teyla and put one arm round her back and the other hand took Teyla's. Rodney did a double take.

"Dr weir?! seriously, you have got to be kidding me"

"I'm not kidding you Rodney"

"You and teyla?!"

"Yes me and teyla. We have been together since shortly after the Athosians moved into the city"

Rodney just stared at them and Carson spoke.

"You know if more people knew that atlantis's top leadership were not only gay but even had partners then perhaps there wouldn't be so much fear surrounding going public with relationships"

"Perhaps" replied weir and I would love for atlantis to be a place of total equality like Athos or Seteda"

"But " interrupted Shepard "the fact is that with DADT still in full force if more people knew about weir and I we would be quickly fired and replaced, even tho Weit is a civilian she is still the head of Atlantis and Atlantis is under the oversight of the American military."

"That's true." Conceded Carson. "But anyway you were about to tell us how you knew about shepherd."

It was Teyla that spoke

"Do you remember about 4 months ago Ronan and i took a group of the Athosian youth to a Forrest planet for 3 weeks of survival training.

"Yeah"

"Well it was just after we got back"

FLASHBACK"

Teyla was hurrying down a dimly lit deserted hallway her hand extended behind her tugging a rather flushed and slightly hesitant Dr weir

"I'm really not sure this is a good idea teyla"

"It will be fine. Nobody ever comes this far down this pier. There are no labs no normal sleeping chambers and the power doesn't work properly.

"But what if somebody does come down here"

"Then I highly doubt that they will go into the old barracks. I'm not even sure anyone outside of the team even knows it's here"

"But still it's the middle of the day"

"Exactly. Coming down here out of the way of everyone is much safer than trying to sneak into our quarters and infinitely safer than making out in your office as you were quite content to do 10 minutes ago. Elizabeth blushed and fell silent. The pair continued to hurry quietly along the corridor finally stopping in front of a set of double doors.

"Here we are, this is old guard barrack for this section of the city. "

Teyla waved her hand across the controls and the door slid open but before they could walk in two people tumbled out. Shepard landed on the floor first and Roman landed on top of him. It was clear the pair had been leaning against the other side of the doors. And as the and they were both topples. Shepard stared up looking startled and farther winded.

Ronan turned his head to look up as well. As she shock wore off Shepard noticed Teyla and Elizabeth's still clasped hands And chuckled.

"Well Ronan" he said " it seems Teyla had the same idea as you".

End flashback.

Rodney was in fits of giggles and Carson was trying and failing not to laugh. Teyla Ronan Elizabeth and Shepard were all blushing to various degrees.

"I told you it was embarrassing" said Shepard

"Yeah" replied Rodney "but I never thought it would be anything like that.

"Did you end up in trouble" asked Carson

It was weir that replied "well seeing as I couldn't really reprimand them without reprimanding both Teyla and myself I suggested that we all just head back to work.


End file.
